Gage for screw-drivers.



No. 734,204. PATBNTED JULY 21, 1903.

W. H. VOSS.

GAGE EoR scREw DRIVERS.

I APPLICATION IILE'D NOV. 19, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

WIN

ii awlllm Patented. July 21, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. VOSS, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA.

GAGE FOR SCREW DRlV ERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 734,204, dated July 21,1903.

Application filed November 19, 1902. Serial No. 131,937. (No model-l 'Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. Voss, a citizen ofthe United States, anda resident of Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Gages for Machine orHand Screw-Drivers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same.

Myiuvention relates to screw-drivers; and its principal object is toprovide a suitable gage whereby the depth to which a screw is driventhereby into a piece of wood or other material can be regulated by asimple and easy preadjustment of its parts and whereby the pointed endof the screw-driver is guided to its workand the relative position ofthe screw while being operated upon is maintained. This I accomplish bymeans which present no external projection to interfere with thecomfortable manipulation of the same and by means which can be readilytaken apart or assembled together without inconvenience easily andquickly.

I will first describe my invention in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, and will then point outmore particularly in the claims the features of novelty.

In the drawings, Figure l is aside elevation of my invention as it isapplied to the stem of an ordinary screw-driver. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal central section of the same.

A represents the straight stern of an ordinary screw-driver, thescrew-engaging end of which is of the usual flattened construction, andB represents a holder. This holder is preferably of a cylindrical shape.The diameter of the lower portion of its bore is such that the lowerpart of the stem has sliding contact therewith and its movement isguided thereby, and the upper portion of the bore (forming about twothirds its length) is greater in diameter and forms an annular chamberI), through which said stem extends centrally. The upper end ofchamber 1) is closed ,bya bushing G, which is secured in fplace by thescrews 0 c, tapped through the walls of the holder into-the same, andthis bushing closes snug around the sides of the stem and forms'a guidein the upper end of the holder for the same.

Secured fast to the barrel of the stem in chamber 1) by means of theset-screws d dis an adjustable collar D, and between this collar and thelower end of chamber 1) the stem A is surrounded by a coiledexpansion-spring E, the oftice of which is to automatically return thestem to the limit of its upward or return movement when the pressureexerted to drive a screw is removed. At a suitable distance above theupper end of the holder B the stem has secured thereto, by means ofset-screws g g, the adjustable gage-collar G, which determines theextent to which the stem of the screw-driver can be moved to its work,and consequently the depth to which the screw can be driven into thematerial designed to receive it.

It will be observed that the collar D and the collar G determine andlimit the movement of the screw-driver stem and that the extent of thismovement can be practically regulated within a distance corresponding tothe length of the annular chamber 1) less the length of the runner D. Itwill also be noticed that by means of my invention the extent to whichthe screws are driven, especially upon work where it is desirable thatthe screws should always enter the material just so far, can bepredetermined to a nicety. In order to accommodate the head of the screwbeing operated upon the lower end of the bore of the holder is madelarger, and the walls of this enlargementmay be either cylindrical orbeveled, substantially as shown in the drawings, in dotted lines in theformer case and in solid lines in the latter case.

My invention can be used either in conjunction with hand or machinescrew-drivers, and when used as a hand screw-driver the holder affords acomfortable grasp for the hand and one that will present no projectionsof any kind to harass and annoy the operator.

What I claim as new is-- 1. The combination with a screw-driver of agage comprising a case having a bore with an enlarged upper end and aremovable bushmg in said upper end, the bore and said bushing beingadapted to receive the stem of the driver and allow longitudinalmovement therein, means for normally retaining the stem in its upperposition, and a gage-collar attached to the stem and adapted to engagethe contiguous end of the case when the stem 'is at the limit of itsdriving movement.

2. The combination with a screw-driver of a gage comprising a casethrough which the stem of the screwdriver has longitudinal movement andadjustable devices, one within and the other outside of said case, forlimiting the movement of said stem.

3. The combination with a screw-driver of a gage comprising a casethrough which the stem of the screw driver has longitudinal

